Peter Gildersonhttp://northsidesun.com/taxonomy/term/196/0
enTrump realizes ISIS, not Russia, is main enemyhttp://northsidesun.com/opinion-columns/trump-realizes-isis-not-russia-main-enemy
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="http://northsidesun.com/sites/northsidesun.com/files/styles/large/public/field/image/Peter%20Gilderson%20toned_6.jpg?itok=9UWnwvZX" width="576" height="360" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>Much has been made in the media of Trump's favorable reference to Vladimir Putin. Donald's comments stem from his hopes that he will join us in the war against ISIS. This reminds me of the situation in the early days of WWII when Britain stood alone against Hitler's armies. Having failed in his attempt to force Britain's surrender after the Battle of Britain (air bombardment), Hitler then turned his fury on Russia. Churchill, Britain's conservative prime minister, was faced with the decision on whether or not to assist Russia. He had roundly criticized Communism for 25 years, but when faced with a potential partner against a common enemy he welcomed them. He said: "If Hitler invaded hell I would make at least a favorable reference to the Devil in the House of Commons!" It appears that Trump has the foresight to start thawing the relationship with Russia in the prospect of a united fight against our mutual enemy - ISIS.</p>
<p>As the news reported, Hillary Clinton nearly collapsed after attending a ceremony in New York on 9/11. It was first reported that her problem was caused by overheating on that beautiful day, and then that she had pneumonia. There are rumors of more serious health problems, but even the pneumonia was not divulged to the press until two days after it had been diagnosed. Now there are further requests for the health records of the two candidates to be made public. Let me ask: If Bill Clinton can have fruitful, secretive conversations (on grandkids and golf?) with Loretta Lynch prior to the FBI and Justice Department investigations of his wife's e-mail handling, what are the chances that he could produce a lily-white report from Hillary's doctor?</p>
<p>San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick has taken a knee during the singing of the national anthem in football games. Now four Miami Dolphins have joined him in the protest of black men being killed by police. Even President Obama said that the quarterback has the constitutional right to kneel. In my view Kaepernick's action is unpatriotic, disgracing the flag, and I lay the blame at the feet of the mainstream media. Here's why.</p>
<p>His action is derived from the Black Lives Matter movement, which started after the shooting of Michael Brown by a white police officer in Ferguson, Mo. The 300 lb, six-foot-four Brown had stolen tobacco from a store, assaulted the sales clerk, and later disrespected the police officer when asked to move from the middle of the road on which he was walking. He lunged for the officer's gun, hit him in the face before being shot by the officer in self-defense. And yet the administration's attorney general attended his funeral. The officer was found not guilty in two separate investigations. Nevertheless a false narrative of the shooting ("hands up, don't shoot") has been spread without being rebuked by the mainstream media. This false impression is probably believed by Kaepernick and his followers.</p>
<p> "To anger a conservative, lie to him. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth." A quote often attributed to Theodore Roosevelt. Some dispute the source, but whoever used it first had a good observation. For example, liberals are upset with Matt Lauer of NBC for his strong questioning of Hillary in the recent Commander-in-Chief forum with Donald Trump. J. Simon of the liberal Buffalo News said: "By the time it was over, Lauer would go to the bottom of a foul, festering garbage dump of internet scorn...."</p>
<p>Peter Gilderson is a Northsider.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-section field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/opinion"><span>Opinion</span></a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/columns"><span>Columns</span></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-event-calendar-date field-type-datetime field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Date:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Wednesday, October 5, 2016 - 11:00</span></div></div></div>Wed, 05 Oct 2016 15:55:27 +0000wmccain2992 at http://northsidesun.comState employers dependent on fossil fuelshttp://northsidesun.com/opinion-columns/state-employers-dependent-fossil-fuels
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="http://northsidesun.com/sites/northsidesun.com/files/styles/large/public/field/image/Peter%20Gilderson%20toned_5.jpg?itok=aSbK22iR" width="576" height="360" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>Isn't it comforting to know that our institutions of higher learning are now concentrating on the most important things? In my day I studied chemistry, physics, math, geology, English literature and a few electives. Apparently I was woefully deficient in some areas. Princeton is now implementing more gender neutrality in studies - "man" is out.</p>
<p>A freshman is now a first year student; a fireman is a firefighter, and so on. Yale has introduced 332 gender neutral restrooms. Here in Oxford Colonel Reb is long gone, and there will be no more Dixie. Soon the name "Ole Miss" will come under fire, and Civil War history can be expected to be rewritten one day. We're only waiting for a professor from Harvard to instruct us.</p>
<p>Won't it be reassuring to future generations that the new bridge over the fearsome chasm in the mountains has been constructed by an engineer who received an "A" in inclusivity? Parents must really be thankful that their kid's $20-60k tuition fees are being spent so wisely by college administrators.</p>
<p>Another bee that frequently needs to escape from my bonnet involves the extreme environmentalists who decry fossil fuels. In 2011 Obama's energy czar advocated $8 gasoline. Think of the harm that would cause to industry and household budgets. Little thought is given by these elitists to the effect on employment. Here in Mississippi we have Chevron's largest refinery in Pascagoula. It employs 1,600 with a payroll of $485 million. Next door is First Chemical with 180 employees. CF Industries in Yazoo City employs 275 workers. All of these make their products from fossil fuels. Downstream industries that use petrochemicals derived from fossil fuels include the tire companies Yokohama and the proposed Continental plant. Both base their tires on SBR rubber produced from petrochemicals. When fully operating these plants will employ 3,000. The auto manufacturers Nissan and Toyota have 8,400 employees in Mississippi, and satellite suppliers add another 5,000. They use petrochemicals for RIM plastic body panels, glycol antifreeze, tires and other parts that can be traced back to fossil fuels. Add to this hundreds of plumbers who use PVC pipe; launderers using biodegradable detergents; reinforced fiberglass boat manufacturers and molded shower/ tub makers and installers; distributors who sell fertilizers and herbicides to farmers who use them - all of these have jobs because fossil fuel derivatives are ultimately responsible for their products. None of the aforementioned materials - none - can be produced from renewables. Thus fossil fuels have created tens of thousands of well-paying jobs in our state. Al Gore - do you read me?</p>
<p>My final buzz has to do with roadways. No, I'm not going to discuss the "pothole capital of the world" here in Jackson, although I do frequently navigate its epicenter on Adkins Boulevard. Farther north in Madison County we have two roads that deserve comment. On the east side of I-55 between Madison and Gluckstadt there is the four-mile Galleria Parkway, built about five years ago. This road has very light traffic and it still has only a handful of buildings along its four-mile length. It is not too much of a stretch for it to be called "the road to nowhere."</p>
<p>By contrast, on the west side of I-55 there is Bozeman Road, which is being considered for widening from two to four lanes at a cost of $30 million. Traffic is heavy at 14,000 vehicles per day, and is expected to double by 2040. The project appears to make sense until you consider that the bottleneck in traffic flow is the intersection of Bozeman with Hwy. 463. Even eight lanes on Bozeman would not solve the congestion at this intersection.</p>
<p>Several years ago, funding for an interchange halfway down Bozeman with I-55 was approved. This Reunion Parkway interchange would siphon off traffic from the 463 interchange and would alleviate the problem. But those funds were spent on something else. Now MDOT appears to be transfixed on this Bozeman "boulevard to bottleneck." Surely this time the funds should be spent more wisely on a project that will correctly address a pressing need.</p>
<p>Peter Gilderson is a Northsider.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-section field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/opinion"><span>Opinion</span></a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/columns"><span>Columns</span></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-event-calendar-date field-type-datetime field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Date:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Monday, September 19, 2016 - 10:15</span></div></div></div>Mon, 19 Sep 2016 15:18:58 +0000wmccain2913 at http://northsidesun.comRace relations worsening under Obamahttp://northsidesun.com/opinion-columns/race-relations-worsening-under-obama
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="http://northsidesun.com/sites/northsidesun.com/files/styles/large/public/field/image/Peter%20Gilderson%20toned_4.jpg?itok=QmxOcpJy" width="576" height="360" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>Any fair minded adult who can clearly remember more than 10 years must admit that racial relations have deteriorated significantly since President Barack Obama took office. This is so disappointing because we had all hoped that, despite his politics, our first black president would initiate the disappearance of discrimination. Instead we have seen the first race riots since the 1960s, and the birth of anti-police associations such as the Black Lives Matter movement. How did all this occur? Here is my perspective.</p>
<p> First the Obamas spent 20 years attending a Black Liberation Theology church in Chicago, pastored by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. (He of the infamous "God damn America" quote.) Black Liberation Theology, an adaption of Marxism, teaches that blacks have been oppressed by historical slavery, and that whites are the oppressors. Obama continued attending that church for seven years even after the aforementioned quote, and it was only after his poll numbers declined while he was running for election that he dropped his membership in 2008. So he was well indoctrinated with those beliefs.</p>
<p>Soon after his election, President Obama came to the defense of a liberal black professor friend at Harvard, and said that "the Cambridge police had acted stupidly....There's a long history in this country of African Americans being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately." Then in 2012 there was the shooting of Trayvon Martin by George Zimmerman, a mixed race Hispanic. Zimmerman claimed that he acted in self defense after Martin repeatedly banged his head on a concrete sidewalk. But Obama commented: "If I had a son he'd look like Trayvon." Former NAACP president C.L. Bryant criticized Obama for this statement, and singled out Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson for exploiting Martin's death as "race hustlers" intent on inflaming racial passions. Both ABC and NBC were accused of misleading reports on the shooting. In spite of the fact that on July 13, 2013 Zimmerman was acquitted of all charges, Trayvon Martin is still reported by many as a victim.</p>
<p>Next, in Ferguson, Mo., there was the shooting of Michael Brown by a white police officer, who claimed he was acting in self defense. This incident is often misquoted, so I have researched several accounts including a comprehensive report by Wikipedia on the internet which I recommend to the reader. In the days following the tragedy, Al Sharpton arrived and again did his race hustling. Riots erupted, including the looting and burning of many businesses and buildings. Obama's administration sent three representatives to Brown's funeral. A local grand jury found no reason to prosecute the officer, Darren Wilson. Not satisfied, the administration had the Department of Justice conduct a trial, but again officer Wilson was acquitted. Many statements of so-called witnesses were proved false, such as the "hands up, don't shoot" cry attributed to Brown. Distorted information was quoted by many including the main stream media. Even today as I write, Hillary Clinton, addressing an NAACP convention, said that we must "hold police departments like Ferguson accountable." The Black Lives Matter movement was spawned after these shootings.</p>
<p>Another underlining problem is that blacks have a disproportionate number of fatherless homes (three times higher than whites), and many have not been taught respect for parents, for teachers, and for law enforcement. (Thankfully there are many wonderful exceptions such as Dr. Ben Carson.) Their consequent graduation rates are low, and therefore employment chances are slim. Regarding crime, it is often true that they are arrested more frequently than other races. In Cleveland, Ohio, for example, the population is 52 percent African American, but of the murders in a recent year 153 were committed by blacks, while only 29 were by whites. Still many blacks argue that there is police discrimination against them--police are their enemy. One officer well known to me told me that when he stops blacks for speeding at night they often tell him: "You only stopped me because I'm black." He replies: "How can I tell at night from behind whether you are male or female, let alone if you are black!"</p>
<p>Following the recent shootings of police officers, Obama legitimized the Black Lives Matter movement by inviting one of their leaders along with Al Sharpton to the White House. (Al Sharpton has been a frequent White House visitor.) This is a group which needs to be exposed for what they are. Watching TV the other night, I heard one BLM member comment on the recent police shootings by saying: "We can't get justice in the courts, so we get it in the streets." Readers, ask yourselves: isn't that anarchy? How far have we descended from considering the content of a person's character to be more important than the color of their skin?</p>
<p>There are over 900,000 police officers in this country. In any barrel of this size there will inevitably be a few bad apples. These must be dealt with as found. But the media concentrates on these incidents that probably account for only 0.01 percent of all police arrests. The vast majority of police are here to help and protect all people, regardless of race or any other demographic. They need to be supported by all citizens, the press, and politicians. Inaccurate or incomplete press reports can contribute to inciting violence. Let's hear more reports on how officers have shown bravery in helping people.</p>
<p>Peter Gilderson is a Northsider.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-section field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/opinion"><span>Opinion</span></a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/columns"><span>Columns</span></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-event-calendar-date field-type-datetime field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Date:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Wednesday, July 27, 2016 - 14:30</span></div></div></div>Wed, 27 Jul 2016 19:36:21 +0000wmccain2707 at http://northsidesun.comHB1523 simply defends a person’s religious beliefshttp://northsidesun.com/news-opinion-columns/hb1523-simply-defends-person%E2%80%99s-religious-beliefs
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="http://northsidesun.com/sites/northsidesun.com/files/styles/large/public/field/image/Peter%20Gilderson%20toned_2.jpg?itok=liSdkTLS" width="576" height="360" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>One of the local Gannett news staff - Gary Pettus - wrote a column in which he condemned Southern Baptist pastors for opposing HB1523 just as they had resisted legislation, he said, against slavery and civil rights. I will address the HB1523 issue later, but first let me comment on his civil rights and slavery statements which, incidentally, Gov. Phil Bryant calls "reprehensible."</p>
<p>Slavery has existed in the human race for thousands of years. Egypt, for example, enslaved the Israelites to build the pyramids. In New Testament times as much as one-third of the population of the Roman empire was enslaved. If Christians had openly opposed slavery their cause would not have survived. However Paul, in his epistles, advocated civil treatment (Ephesians 6 v.9) of slaves by their masters, and he also returned an escaped slave to his master with the pleading to receive him "no longer as a slave but more than a slave, a beloved brother." (Philemon v.16)</p>
<p>In America slavery was commonplace in its early history, with our first president - George Washington - owning "several hundred" slaves in his lifetime. It was not until the late 1700s that substantial progress was made in eradicating this scourge from society.</p>
<p>Christians were at the forefront of abolitionism. Slaves were usually shipped to the West Indies and America by British ships in a triangular trade. Goods were carried to Africa from Britain; then those ships were loaded with slaves and shipped to the New World; finally, after selling the slaves, the ships carried cotton, sugar, tobacco, and rum back to Britain. One ship's captain, John Newton, was eventually so appalled by the trade that, after conversion, he became an Anglican clergyman (hence "Amazing Grace,") and encouraged abolitionism. John Wesley called slavery "that execrable villainy." He persuaded William Wilberforce to persist with legislation to ban slavery. Quakers and evangelicals on both sides of the Atlantic were active in forming abolitionist movements.</p>
<p>Regarding racial discrimination, my pastors have frequently admonished us to treat all people as equal in God's sight. I was not in the Deep South during the 1960s, (nor for the record am I a Baptist) but I have read and heard of the problems of those times. People here were raised in that atmosphere. Discrimination existed from the sales clerk to the governor, much like slavery over 200 years before.</p>
<p>The Gannett newsman singled out Baptist preachers for accepting this situation. But it is highly probable that Mr. Pettus' forebears were the same if they lived in the South. Since then Christians have figured prominently in promoting racial equality.</p>
<p>Now back to HB1523. Liberals persist in saying that this legislation discriminates against the LGBT community. It does not. Whether you believe that homosexuality is a biological or a faith-based issue is, at the end of the day, immaterial to this bill.</p>
<p>What the bill does is defend those with sincerely held religious beliefs from being forced to do, or not do, something which is against their faith and conscience. It uses the same principle that the Little Sisters of the Poor used when they objected to supplying certain contraceptives because that violated their faith. The Supreme Court unanimously agreed with them. Similarly the court agreed with Hobby Lobby when they petitioned against being forced to supply week-after contraceptives to their employees.</p>
<p>HB1523 protects conscientious objectors in the same way. The LGBT community can find other bakers and other pastors who would willingly assist them without violating the consciences of others who may not agree with them.</p>
<p>Peter Gilderson is a Northsider.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-section field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/news"><span>News</span></a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/opinion"><span>Opinion</span></a></div><div class="field-item even"><a href="/columns"><span>Columns</span></a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-event-calendar-date field-type-datetime field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Date:&nbsp;</div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Thursday, June 23, 2016 - 17:00</span></div></div></div>Thu, 23 Jun 2016 22:02:05 +0000wmccain2373 at http://northsidesun.comQuestions for climate change activisthttp://northsidesun.com/opinion-columns/questions-climate-change-activist
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="http://northsidesun.com/sites/northsidesun.com/files/styles/large/public/field/image/Peter%20Gilderson%20toned_3.jpg?itok=bx5KDmlN" width="576" height="288" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>Dr. Bill Curtis wrote a compelling article in the January 28 issue of the Northside Sun. He is trying to start a chapter of a movement here in the Jackson area to promote "(reduction) of greenhouse gas emissions with minimum harm to the economy." It seems like a worthy cause. However, his premise deserves a little scrutiny.<br />Dr. Curtis mentions storms and hurricanes in recent decades, implying that these have been increased by global warming. Here's a question: When was the most devastating hurricane in U.S. history? Answer: It was in the year 1900, when Galveston was almost wiped out. There have been storms and disasters, and periods of warming and cooling throughout the years. He says that the current warming may have been the cause of mosquitos migrating here from the south with the Zika disease. Did climate force the rats northward in the 1600s carrying the bubonic plague in Europe? He says that July of this year was the hottest ever. I cannot verify this, but I do remember that our local weather man said that last December tied the warmest on record for that month. It tied with 1938, meaning that it was just as hot three quarters of a century ago as it was in this El Nino year. Does that fit with the activists' argument? A couple of years ago we had winters when the Great Lakes and Niagara Falls were almost completely frozen over. Cold and warm records are broken or challenged every year.<br />As a chemist Bill Curtis might want to consider how dependent he is on fossil fuels. Here is a partial list of products that he probably uses. His car's radiator is filled with antifreeze/coolant - ethylene glycol. Its tires are made of SBR rubber. The lightweight bodywork that gives better mileage is made from RIM plastics. The battery utilizes acid that comes from sulfur extracted from heavy crude to reduce emissions. In his house he probably enjoys a tub and shower that are molded from polyester plastics. His kitchen has many plastic products - bags, wrap and so on. In fact anything in his house that replaces metal or glass in all probability can trace its heritage to fossil fuels. If he ventures on the Gulf he probably uses a boat that has been molded from polyester fiberglass. Much of his food has been grown with fertilizers based on fossil fuels. As a chemist Dr. Curtis should know that all of these products are made from petrochemicals, and thus fossil fuels. How many of them could be made from renewables? Answer: absolutely none.<br />Here's a quickie for the activists: How far would Al Gore's plane travel without fossil fuels?<br />Activists often say that they join with 97-98 percent of climatologists who say that they believe in climate change. As any pollster knows, the answer depends upon the way the question is phrased. Climate has changed over thousands of years. This is evidenced by the retreat of the polar ice cap from the northern U.S. states (10,000 years ago) to its present position in the Arctic Ocean. Before the politicians became involved in the green movement, scientists called this the Milankovitch cycle - natural long-term climate changes due to the orientation of the earth and the sun. So yes, I agree with climate change. I'll join the 98 percent. If the question had been posed in the following way: Do you agree with the cataclysmic predictions made by Al Gore when he wrote “An Inconvenient Truth” a decade ago? You would have had a much different answer. Remember what he wrote in 2006: We have just "ten years to avert a major catastrophe that could send our entire planet into a tailspin." The 10 years is up. Where's the tailspin?<br />The centerpiece of Gore's book was a chart of global temperatures before and after the industrial revolution. It was called the "hockey stick" chart. After centuries of little change, the graph showed a steep increase in temperatures after 1900. The author claimed this was evidence that the use of fossil fuels caused global warming. However, the climatologist (Dr. Mike Mann) had used two different methodologies in creating his chart. As Dr. Curtis should know, this is a scientific no-no. That and many other frauds were uncovered during Climategate. That is a subject unto itself, and it is far too long to record here. Suffice it to say, there are many, many disturbing questions about how climate change is presented. Potential activists should beware of being stampeded into believing that it is a greater threat to us than terrorism.<br />Peter Gilderson is a Northsider.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-section field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/opinion"><span>Opinion</span></a></div><div class="field-item odd"><a href="/columns"><span>Columns</span></a></div></div></div>Wed, 17 Feb 2016 21:35:36 +0000wmccain1716 at http://northsidesun.comFossil fuels are the source of our luxurieshttp://northsidesun.com/columns/fossil-fuels-are-source-our-luxuries
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="http://northsidesun.com/sites/northsidesun.com/files/styles/large/public/field/image/Peter%20Gilderson%20toned_1.jpg?itok=pUix7rRs" width="276" height="265" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>When Al Gore, the patriarch of global warming alarmists, flies around the globe he leaves a personal carbon footprint that is probably 30 times larger than the average citizen. I wonder if he ever considers how essential the petroleum industry is to his travels as he tells others about the evils of fossil fuels. Obviously the plane he rides could not be flying without aviation fuel for which there is no substitute. But incorporated into the very structure of the plane, and included in many inside features are petroleum derivatives. And if he has a headache from worrying about how to invest the proceeds from his many speeches, he can always pop a Tylenol - oops, that's ultimately a great-grandchild of petroleum. How many people are aware of just how many benefits we all enjoy because of products derived from petroleum?</p>
<p>Without getting too deeply into chemistry let me simply say that the largest primary feedstocks of the petrochemical industry are the gases ethylene and propylene, and the liquids benzene, toluene and xylene - all produced from crude oil or natural gas. Throughout my career in the chemical industry I was personally involved with the marketing and sales of many products that can trace their parentage to these basic building blocks, and thus to petroleum.</p>
<p>My first assignment 50 years ago was in research and development to find and optimize a process to make detergent raw materials. As demand for biodegradable detergents outstripped the supply of coconut oil which had hitherto been used as raw material, petroleum-based substitutes took over much of the market.</p>
<p>My next appointment involved the development of markets for products that make certain heavy plastics more flexible, such as for use in garden hoses and automobile interiors. Later, my more general sales efforts were to companies that made a multitude of products that we use every day.</p>
<p>Here are some examples: nylon for use in clothing and carpets; plastics for packaging and also hundreds of different applications which replace metals and glass more efficiently and economically; Astroturf; antifreeze; adhesives; solvents; insulation used in housing construction and elsewhere; molded bathtubs and boat hulls. The list goes on. As the nation sought to increase the gas mileage of autos, Detroit turned to the petrochemical industry for strong plastic products that reduced the weight of cars.</p>
<p>Whether we realize it or not, as we sit in airplanes, in our cars or homes we are surrounded by products that had an original petroleum source. The heating, cooling, and other power requirements are most probably supplied by fossil fuels. The clothes we wear could well involve nylon or microfibers (not the old polyester suits of yesteryear) and be dyed with wonderful colors that are ultimately derived from petroleum. So far, solar and wind power are very small in the energy supply picture, and they must be subsidized in order to compete. Furthermore they do not provide any of the additional benefits that have been listed here.</p>
<p>Unless we are prepared to live in tree houses and scratch out an existence in a very primitive fashion, then we must be dependent in so many ways upon fossil fuels. Most participants in survival shows that I have seen were extremely glad to return to modern civilization. We should all count our many blessings. Just how many of our physical blessings come from fossil fuels is almost incalculable. Mr. Gore and his disciples should be reminded of this.</p>
<p>Peter Gilderson is a Northsider.</p>
</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-section field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><a href="/columns"><span>Columns</span></a></div></div></div>Wed, 29 Apr 2015 19:32:48 +0000nhodum694 at http://northsidesun.comMandatory voting is not a good ideahttp://northsidesun.com/editorials/mandatory-voting-not-good-idea
<div class="field field-name-field-image field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><img src="http://northsidesun.com/sites/northsidesun.com/files/styles/large/public/field/image/Peter%20Gilderson%20toned_0.jpg?itok=Db6Q3KVb" width="276" height="265" alt="" /></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>President Obama has recently said that he would like to see voting become mandatory. In other words, those who never took an interest in their country and how it is run would then be forced to state their opinion at the ballot box. These new voters who don't know Benghazi from Bergdahl would then have a say that would be equal to that of the most informed constituent. In all probability these new voters would be highly dependant on government handouts. You know why Obama would like them to vote. And what about voter ID? Mississippi has made it as easy as possible for anyone to obtain the necessary identification. But can you force people to apply, and if they do, can they be forced to vote?</p>
<p>In the last few days the U.S. Supreme Court has refused to overturn the Wisconsin voter ID law. Eight states including Mississippi now have such a law. Opponents say that it discriminates against potential voters, and I agree: it discriminates against fraudulent voters. But, they retort, there have never been substantial reports of malfeasance. I have read of cases where more votes were cast in a precinct than there were registered voters. I haven't confirmed this, but let me simply state that it is relatively easy to pervert the process if photo ID is not required. Here's how: an astute community organizer would compile a list of non-voting individuals in his precinct (some being in the cemetery). Then on election day he would direct his minions to vote for them. This practice could also be used very effectively for early voting. Such practices would be largely undetectable, and that is why there are few cases of known fraudulent voting.</p>
<p>The administration is about to enter into an agreement with Iran to limit (delay actually) that county's development of nuclear weapons. I believe that it should be mandatory for all politicians to study the events leading up to WWII because the situation now is very similar to that of the 1930s. The Allies then, led by the UK, entered into an agreement with Hitler to settle disagreements by discussion rather than resort to force. Neville Chamberlain, who was the British prime minister at the time, returned from a meeting with Hitler waving a document signed by both men confirming the agreement. "Peace in our time," he proclaimed. As we now know, and as he should have known, Hitler was a tyrant, and that document was in fact only a piece of paper. Hitler started aggression anyway. Churchill, who had opposed the agreement, then replaced Chamberlain as PM.</p>
<p>Well, are the leaders of Iran tyrants? They openly instigate or support terrorism in various places in the world, so I would definitely concur. If the president had studied the pre-WWII history he would have learned that you cannot trust agreements with tyrants. Unfortunately he had returned Winston Churchill's bust to the British, otherwise he might have had a constant reminder right there in his office.</p>
<p>Climate change: it has now come full circle. You may remember that it used to be called "global warming." But when the catastrophic warming did not occur as predicted, the name was altered to climate change - which incidentally has a 12 month fund-raising appeal.</p>
<p>The circle was completed during a recent Sunday morning talk show when Jerry Brown, the liberal governor of California, said that while California was enduring prolonged drought, the East Coast was encountering record low temperatures - evidence of climate change he said. Well, you have to give him kudos. Al Gore should present his Oscar.</p>
<p>We can now overlook the fact that the Great Lakes have been almost entirely frozen during the last two winters, as was Niagara Falls this February. Governor, please remember that extensive droughts were experienced during the 1930s (the Dust Bowl), and way back in biblical times when Joseph was in Egypt; both long before man's nasty hydrocarbon fuels became a significant factor. (They are nasty until you want to drive your car, heat and insulate your home, use them for electrical power, detergents, many pharmaceuticals - the list goes on.)</p>
<p>The National Geographic March edition has an article entitled "War on Science." In it the author said that there were two "tribes" of belief in climate change, and the tribes were firmly entrenched. His tribe believed that anthropogenic (man induced) climate change had the support of science, whereas deniers in the other tribe were at war with the true science. I have two questions for the author: First, how do you account for the geological fact that the Earth started warming after the last ice age 10,000 years ago? And what about the periods of warming and cooling associated with previous ice ages in this globe's long history? Mankind had no part in those changes. That's a scientific fact. Secondly, what about the revelations of "Climategate" when files of your "tribe" were hacked in 2009? The Daily Telegraph newspaper in Britain where the hacking took place, wrote that "this scandal could well be the greatest in modern science."</p>
<p>My final "This" (or is it "That"?) involves a novel idea of mine. With all the crime that is prevalent these days, how about making a list of 10 do's and don'ts that parents should teach their kids. These 10, if time-tested, should be taught in our schools, and maybe even displayed in places where rules and regulations are enforced. Just a thought. Nothing else seems to be working well. Perhaps someone can come up with such a list.</p>
<p>Peter Gilderson is a Northsider.</p>
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